Skin science article
Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Versus Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser
Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Versus Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin. This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry. What's inside Key I
Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Versus Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser
This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin.
This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Glycerin
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
Cellulose Gum
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Hydroxyacetophenone
Inulin
Xanthan Gum
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Phytate
Cellulose
Fructose
Glucose
Phenoxyethanol
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Cellulose Gum, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Inulin, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Cellulose, Fructose, Glucose, Phenoxyethanol
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Coco-Betaine
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Potassium Benzoate
Sodium Chloride
Polyquaternium-67
Potassium Cocoate
Citric Acid
Fructooligosaccharides
Saccharide Hydrolysate
Disodium EDTA
Pullulan
1,2-Hexanediol
Allantoin
Panthenol
Sea Water
Sodium Acetate
Butylene Glycol
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil
Beta-Glucan
Phosphatidylcholine
Hyaluronic Acid
Ceramide NP
Glycine
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Glutamic Acid
Serine
Sodium Hyaluronate
Lysine
Alanine
Arginine
Threonine
Proline
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Coco-Betaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Potassium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-67, Potassium Cocoate, Citric Acid, Fructooligosaccharides, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Disodium EDTA, Pullulan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sea Water, Sodium Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beta-Glucan, Phosphatidylcholine, Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide NP, Glycine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lysine, Alanine, Arginine, Threonine, Proline
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!